You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Dear forum members,
Eupedia moved to a new server last week. If the forum tells you that the page has unsafe scripts, or if anything doesn't work properly on the forum, just clear your browser cache and cookies and everything should go back to normal.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?", Winston Churchill.

Very interesting indeed. It hits some common points that i myself have observed in the eating differences between Europe and North America. I will go further and say that the eating experience in Europe is probaply felt more or has more effect in culinary divine nations such Italy and France, Belgium being not so noticable for their culinary art, exept the overuse of butter in their local dishes :/

Furthemore on lingering whilst eating, I must say that it is not 100% true or always the case here. I have often found pushy waitors to rush me and my companions with annoying gestures and bothersome intrusions. Once even, at a small restaurant that specializes on Belgian dishes the head chef came and literally took my plate of the table thinking I was done.....

You mean that the americans don't know the pleasure of dining out with your friends from 19h00 PM to 01h00 AM, where people talk about all kinds of things at the table?

Heck, if that happened here our political life would break down, as it revolves around talking for hours at the restaurant...

Still, I still haven't figured out why americans don't like something as tasty as snails

Originally Posted by Duo

Once even, at a small restaurant that specializes on Belgian dishes the head chef came and literally took my plate of the table thinking I was done.....

Where had you put your fork and knife? Both of them to the right side of the dish are meant to signal that you're done and that the dish can be taken from you (there is a whole set of rules about these things).

I don't know if you have ever read Bill Brysons "Notes from a Big Country". In that he has returned to the US, after living in the UK for serveral years. He mentions that one of the first things he did was buy a lot of american instant food from the local superstore. What he discovered was it was too sweet, sticky and vile. his wife had no sympathy for him (she is English) and made him eat it all.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?", Winston Churchill.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?", Winston Churchill.

I would have to agree with Duo about eating in Europe (even though I haven't been there yet ). As I'm learning more about French culture, I came to the realization that eating is more about savoring the food, or better yet, ejoyment. I would think this has to with lifestyles more. I think Italy is another good example of how people eat for enjoyment. As far as lifestyles, Europe is more relaxed compared to North America. People work alot more and don't spend much time enjoying life. Hence, fast-food and sticking things in the microwave. In my opinion, North America doesn't consider eating as a pleasure, I think it's more like that in Europe.

gAll right then, Ifll go to hellh\and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Then the bunch of French people I hang around with must be a bunch that doesnft. But I never seen French people ' except Arabian French' who eat Pizza with their hands. I also saw them put in on top of their car and split the pizza with their hands. My hussard finds that inappropriate.

Then the bunch of French people I hang around with must be a bunch that doesnft. But I never seen French people ' except Arabian French' who eat Pizza with their hands. I also saw them put it on top of their car and split the pizza with their hands. My husband finds that inappropriate.

Most notable to me was the bread. It was all freshly baked. There was no bleached white Wonderbread here. When I took it home, it lasted two days before it went stale. That really opened my eyes to what was keeping my Canadian white bread 'fresh' for two weeks c

Well I donft know about other parts of Europe but in France there are bleached white breads, they are called gAmerican sandwich breadh, which you can keep up to two weeks. But most people here prefer the freshly baked ones, yes thatfs true.

We don't even seem to care about how good it tastes anymore, as long as it's served quickly and there is loads of it.

The French are extremely fussy about the taste; they spend so much time to prepare their foods.

The North American take-out spots are all here and they don't show any signs of dwindling business. It makes me sad to think that attitudes here could shift and become like those in North America.

Fast foods are usually popular for young people, I think in comparison to North America the availability of fast foods is still less, there are lots of brands of fast foods restaurants from America that are not available here.